1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle control apparatus, and more particularly to a vehicle control apparatus for a vehicle installed with an automatic transmission having an inhibit function.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional automatic transmission installed in a vehicle employs a reverse inhibit function. When a select lever is operated to a reverse (R) range during forward travel, the reverse inhibit function determines an erroneous operation by a driver or the like and prohibits a switch to a reverse condition. The reverse inhibit function is used to prevent shock, engine stalling, a reduction in a durability of the automatic transmission, and so on, which occur when the automatic transmission is switched to the reverse condition during forward travel (in other words, when the automatic transmission is switched to a condition in which power is transmitted in an opposite direction to an advancement direction of the vehicle) due to an erroneous operation or a misunderstanding by the driver.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2009-209881 discloses a vehicle control apparatus that interrupts power transmission by an automatic transmission when a vehicle speed is higher than a threshold and a shift position is either switched to a reverse (R) position during forward travel or switched to a forward (D) position during reverse travel.
For example, when the shift position is switched to the reverse (R) position during travel in the forward (D) position and the vehicle speed is higher than V1, the vehicle control apparatus executes reverse inhibit control to set the automatic transmission in a neutral (N) condition. The vehicle control apparatus stops the reverse inhibit control when the vehicle speed falls below V1. Further, when idle-up is required following stoppage of the reverse inhibit control, the vehicle control apparatus outputs a control signal for increasing a throttle opening to an electronic throttle valve as an idle up request signal. According to this vehicle control apparatus, convenience during creeping can be improved while avoiding engine stalling during a return from the inhibit control.
Incidentally, when the driver suddenly loses consciousness or suffers leg cramps while driving, for example, or in other words in an emergency where the driver is unable to perform an appropriate brake operation, it is desirable to decelerate and stop the vehicle.
The select lever for switching the operating condition of the automatic transmission is normally disposed between a driving seat (i.e. the driver) and a front passenger seat (i.e. a passenger) in a center console of the vehicle or the like, and can therefore be operated comparatively easily even from the front passenger seat side. With the vehicle control apparatus described in JP-A No. 2009-209881, however, when the driver or the passenger operates the select lever to the reverse (R) range during an emergency with the intention of decelerating/stopping the vehicle, the automatic transmission is switched to the neutral (N) condition, and therefore the vehicle continues to travel through inertia. It is therefore impossible to decelerate and stop the vehicle quickly during an emergency.